Just like my Tears
by Rekino
Summary: “Sorry, but I never liked you that way.” Sakura gets a wake-up call when Sasuke rejects her. Walking alone in the darkness of the night under the pouring rain, shelter comes in the most unexpected form. [Neji x Sakura]


**Title: **Just like my Tears

**Chapter: **THIS IS A ONESHOT! Lol.

**Author: **Rekino

**Warnings:** No idea. Bit of angst? Nothing major though. Seriously! 'Jealousy of Ice' is much worse than this! Character death though. DON'T KILL ME! THIS IS JUST A ONE-SHOT.

**Pairings: **Neji x Sakura, One-sided Sasuke x Sakura, Neji x Tenten

**Disclaimer: **Nope, not mine, doesn't prevent me from dreaming though. Belongs to some dude with a long name and great art.

**Notes: **Dedicated to **Alex 'Scythe**', author of the splendid one-shot: Blood Brothers. Whom weirdly changed her username to 'Sweartoad with a scythe'. You COW! You better enjoy this fic I made just because you requested it… bloody hell… can't stand NejixSaku ARGH! I like them separately! But yea… enjoy this fic… mutters. You better have 'all the pictures **I** want' ready!

**Summary: **"Sorry, but I never liked you that way." Sakura gets a wake-up call when Sasuke rejects her. Walking alone in the darkness of the night under the pouring rain, shelter comes in the most unexpected form. Neji x Sakura

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The rain poured.

Continuously. Never-ending. Just like my tears. The tears I shed for him. The slow fountain created from the clouds rapidly became a waterfall. It's liquid cascading harshly and hitting against my limp hair in a fierce cycle. The very same aqua that I was emitting from the corners of my eyes. Out of sadness, out of pain and of hurt. What I had not bothered to rid myself off. Shamelessly, I stood like a stone statue: tears rolling off my face, hair and body both limp and frozen with the cold. Pitter-patter went the rain.

"_Sorry, but I never liked you that way."_

Another pang in my heart. Another strike against my soul. Another tear for him. For Sasuke.

Yet his words rang true. In some deep dark part within my heart I knew that he was right. He had never loved me that way. Not even so much as liked. Always seeing me as a little sister whom had needed his protection. His love. Not the type that I wanted of him though. No, certainly not the type I had presumed. Maybe that was why it had hurt as much as it had. Because I _already_ knew. It was partly my fault. I know that. I could even admit it. Being in love with him I had convinced myself that he had loved me in return. All the time he pushed away, I came closer. When he commented about something rudely, I just smiled. Whenever he walked away, I followed. No more. Not anymore.

Because he didn't love me back.

He had unwittingly broken Haruno Sakura's heart. Except, I couldn't hate him for it. It truly wasn't his fault. It was my own. Naively innocent. Naively dense. That was the man I had fallen in love with. Uchiha Sasuke.

Against the force of nature that continued to put pressure on my dull fading body. The eternal darkness grew. Shadows stretching from corner to corner. I couldn't even see the hand that I could have sworn was in front of my face mere minutes ago. That's when it happened.

A hand had shot out from the shadows of the night and had grabbed my wrist in a firm yet gentle grip. Pulling me towards an unknown direction. North, east, south, west. I had lost all manners of the tracking skills I had prided myself in hours before.

"Are you insane?" a voice asked in a low hiss in front of me.

I mumbled. Startled that someone had actually bothered to find me under the startlingly mad weather. Or maybe it was all coincidental. "W-what?"

Another hiss. Lower this time that I had to strain my ears to hear it. The water that fell down from the skies didn't help either. Only serving to make me use the ninja skills I had learned from the Academy.

_Listen. Concentrate on all the sounds around you. What do you hear? Footsteps. Words. Rain. Heartbeat. Mine and another's. _

"Do you know how long you've been standing in the rain?"

A familiar voice. Someone I had been in contact with. "What does it matter?" I queried choking back a sob. The events from earlier crossing through my mind in faint flashes. Sadness welled up inside me. My mind was so much in a jumble that I couldn't decipher whether or not it was actually my memories or the slow winks of lightning that threateningly flashed throughout the night sky.

I caught the sight of long dark hair. Came a sharp retort, "You're begging to be sick." Sarcasm. So much like he.

"I said; what does it matter!" I growled, the bitchy part of me emerging with surprising force. Not a good sign.

The mysterious stranger ignored my sentence. Brushing it off easily. He/she continued to drag me along forcing me to stumble and almost jog to keep up. Someone's in a rush, I thought with ill humour.

We came to a stop suddenly. And a door – or at least what I assumed was a door – was yanked open. I was pushed forward into the awaiting arms of darkness. My hands reaching out to come in contact with wood.

Wood?

"Get in," muttered the silhouetted villager, whilst I watched his form move towards the door. Apparently he seemed to make a movement to close it. Lightning illuminated the sky, accompanied with a rumble of thunder. The sounds joining in with the faint rain. Light flashed and the figure turned around. I blinked in wonder.

Hyuuga Neji?

White orbs glared at me, leaving a mark within my soul. His Byakugan was activated. No wonder he could see in the darkness. He walked past me, footsteps threading lightly along the way. He did something. I don't know what. My vision was obscured with the lack of light. Unlike him I had no hereditary eyes. Unlike him and Sasuke…

So I struggled and tried to figure out what he was doing. Light suddenly burst forth from the reddish embers of a fire. Orange sparks flickering in delight. He had created flame. He sat down on the wooden floor, distancing him away from me.

That's when I realised. I was in a cabin with Hinata's cousin. With the almighty Hyuuga Neji. Arms folded over his lean chest he closed his eyes and looking as if he were mediating. The effects of the Byakugan slowly diminishing.

Not knowing what else to say, I murmured softly. "Hi…?" At least I was attempting a conversation. The least I could say for him.

The weirdest thing happened then…

He insulted me.

"You have no imagination today," he said with a snort, eyes glaring and looking darker than usual because of the dancing flame. I suddenly found myself to be offended by a marginal. Who was he to tell me how much imagination I had?

"I have no imagination…" came the echo from my mouth in disbelief. I quickly regained my sharp tongue. "And you do?" I shot back, jade-rimmed eyes daring him to answer.

He took the dare.

"Much more than you it seems," I was partly confused at what he was implying at, but to my distinct annoyance he persisted, "Standing out in the rain after rejection. It's like a drama." Insert typical Hyuuga look with added snort.

My eyes snapped in shock. He knew? And he was insulting me? _That son of a-!_

"Why yo-!" I was practically growling. Hands balled into fists. I was baring my fangs and preparing to pounce. Yet he still made no move, and I didn't even see him move when my face connected with something soft. "H-huh?"

I looked back dumbly at the piece of cloth that he had thrown towards me. A blanket- ?

"I can't very well have you die of hypothermia now can I? It wouldn't look so good on my report when I apply for jounin," he answered coolly.

_Wow. He has a heart!_

I blushed faintly. My cheeks heating up at the worst time. _Stop it you idiot! You just got rejected by your love!_ Inner bitchy Sakura berated with a condescending tone. I ignored her. I had enough of her lectures for the past hour to last me a lifetime. Remembering Sasuke my heart began to ache once more. _Oh god not again!_ I shook everything out of my mind fiercely. Blocking all thoughts of Uchiha Sasuke; heartbreaker. "Thanks…" I muttered, accepting and quickly wrapping the item around me, drying off my soaked body. Water dripped down from my damp hair, which made me feel uncomfortable. I never liked the feeling of being wet. It felt weird.

He looked away, for modesty's sake. Except I didn't know why he had bothered when he probably could see all with his almighty Byakugan.

…

Err… that thought was disturbing.

I crept closer to the flame after I had taken off my wet clothes. Out of habit I wringed it free of the cold liquid, letting it splatter on the floor. I folded it neatly and placed it close to me. Keeping on my shorts and my bra. I kept the blanket draped over my shoulders, snuggling under its warmth. The heat allowing myself to relax from the coldness instilled within. Neji hadn't moved one bit. He looked like a statue. It kind of freaked me out really.

Whilst rubbing my palms together to create friction I took the time to inspect the cabin I was in. It was old and worn, but from the pillars obviously sturdy. It wasn't big, but it was comfy enough to fit enough people when required.

"Tenten and I," he started, coming out of his silence when he saw me eyeing the place. _Wow! An attempt at normal human social interaction! _God, shut up me. "Used to come here after training to escape from Gai."

I 'oh-ed' in understanding, seeing as he didn't continue I asked, "So… umm… what were you doing outside?"

He glanced at me and eyed me warily. "I practice in the rain," came the cool reply. Oh…

_Kami! What is wrong with him? What kind of nut job trains when it's raining! – _Bitchy moi.

"With Tenten-san?"

His gaze darkened at the mention of her name. The atmosphere tensed and I shivered and almost jumped in shock when a blast of thunder rolled outside causing me to have a minor heart failure. The sub-family member remained mute for a moment. "No."

I could only reply with an, "Ah…"

After a while, silence dominated the area. Inner me was screaming in anguish. I was never one to stay quiet for long. In retaliation, I coughed lightly when he closed his eyes to meditate. He ignored me, so I coughed _much_ louder. His eyes snapped open and unconcealed irritation flashed through them at my actions. I shrugged sheepishly in return but feeling annoyed nonetheless at him for ignoring my presence, "So… how did you find me?"

"Chakra," he said dryly.

_God, talk about talkative. He makes Shikamaru look like a chat box! _

"Oh…" I shifted uncomfortably. "So do you always train when it rains?"

A nod.

"Even when there's lightning?"

Another nod.

"How about when it snows during winter?"

Yet another nod.

"Hail?"

Silence.

"It doesn't hail."

…

"Oh yeah…" _Yay! He talked! Keep him at it Sakura!_ "Erm… I don't suppose you train when it quakes, do you?"

Silence once more.

"Earthquakes don't last long enough."

I thought about it. "Floods then?"

"I'm not suicidal," he deadpanned.

I then began to ask, "Hey, I haven't seen Tenten-san for awhile lately, how is she?" Neji stiffened as if he had been slapped.

He let his eyes flutter close before opening them once more and staring straight at me.

"Tenten's dead," he said blandly.

I felt sick, eyes widening in surprise at this sudden revelation. Everything began to spin out of control. Even though I hadn't known Tenten well, I still respected her and our conversations about one another's love lives had always been interesting. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. She was like the older sister I never had.

"What?" I asked, resisting the urge to throw up. I almost didn't want to know what his answer would be.

Neji was silent before continuing, "Three nights ago, Tenten died during a mission," he paused, taking slow even breaths and I could see the pain in his jaded eyes, "We were betrayed, the information given to us was incorrect and Tenten was the bait." The conversation was getting harder to continue. His hands fisted tightly, clenching and then unclenching.

"She suffered because of me, it was my job to oversee the mission not hers. She was tortured," my breath caught into my throat as I heard him speak, "We found her and she was so close to death, she smiled at me when I held her saying, 'It's not your fault, Nej'."

"But it is! I couldn't bear to see her suffer that I took her own life myself." Slow tears wear beginning to mist his sight and without knowing what I was doing I had reached out and took his hand in my own. He looked so pitiful, so sad, so withdrawn. I wanted to make his pain stop, to let the hurt fade.

"It's not your fault," I murmured. We stared at each other for a while. Messages of sorrow passing through our eyes before we embraced, it wasn't a romantic hug but more one of comfort of relief. The pain we felt was a bond to one another. We held each other, the fire cackling in the distance. The rain beginning to subside outside.

"I loved her," he whispered, voice dripping with sadness. I nodded against his arms, warmth coming from him rather than the flame

"And I loved him," I said in return. I thought about Sasuke and his memory no longer haunted me, in fact it was rather refreshing. My love for him had been a good experience. A lesson, to make way for something better.

Our conversation faded into the night.

Then I remembered why he was in this cabin, the same cabin where he shared memories with her. Maybe it wasn't chance that we met each other in the rain, maybe it was fate. Tenten-san's doing maybe? I realised that I wasn't alone, and I would make sure that Neji wouldn't be anymore.

Somewhere, somebody smiled.

And just like my tears, the hurt faded away.

**The End.**

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I will never do a NejixSaku unless it's absolutely necessary… you don't know how wrong I felt. shudders . o.0;; YAY! Neji isn't THAT much of a heartless bastard here!

I just understood how bad my ending was… but at least it's an ending… ! --;; I KNOW! You can scream to me about how gay it was! I was stuck on this bloody ending for 2 months! 2 BLOODY MONTHS! DEAL WITH IT! …. ;

I'm just glad it's over. OWARI!

Reviews, criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Rekino


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